Key West The Newspaper

New report shows visitor spending supports nearly 10,000 jobs in Florida.

ATLANTA – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 10,639,979 visitors to national parks in Florida spent $643 million in the state in 2015. That spending resulted in 9,922 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $934.9 million.

“The national parks of Florida attract visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Stan Austin, Southeast Regional Director. “Whether they are out for an afternoon, a school field trip, or a month-long family vacation, visitors come to have a great experience, and end up spending a little money along the way. This new report shows that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy – returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service – and a big factor in our state’s economy as well, a result we can all support.”

The national parks in Florida and their individual economic impact figures are:

• Big Cypress National Preserve: Visitor spending of $86.3 million resulted in 1,245 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $123.6 million
• Biscayne National Park: Visitor spending of $31.5 million resulted in 445 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $43.9 million
• Canaveral National Seashore: Visitor spending of $105.1 million resulted in 1,572 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $141.1 million
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument: Visitor spending of $44.8 million resulted in 727 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $60.9 million
• De Soto National Memorial: Visitor spending of $16 million resulted in 253 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $22.5 million
• Dry Tortugas National Park: Visitor spending of $4.1 million resulted in 51 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $4.6 million
• Everglades National Park: Visitor spending of $100.5 million resulted in 1,483 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $150.6 million
• Fort Caroline National Memorial: Visitor spending of $12.2 million resulted in 199 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $16.9 million
• Fort Matanzas: Visitor spending of $34 million resulted in 551 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $46.3 million
• Gulf Islands National Seashore: Visitor spending of $112.1 million resulted in 1,665 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $140.1 million
• Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve: Visitor spending of $67.8 million resulted in 1,101 jobs and a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $93.3 million

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs nationally; 252,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.

According to the 2015 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.2 percent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).

Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: go.nps.gov/vse.

The report includes information for visitor spending by park and by state.

To learn more about national parks in Florida and how the National Park Service works with Florida communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/FLORIDA.

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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. To celebrate the centennial, the NPS is inviting all generations to discover or rediscover the special places that belong to all Americans. It is challenging everyone to “Find Your Park” with creative events and activities throughout 2016. For more information visit: http://FindYourPark.com.

The National Park Service has more than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 410 National Parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.